Fruits and nuts picking device

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for harvesting fruits from trees comprising first conduit means, coupling means adjacent a first end thereof and adapted for attachment to a source of vacuum. Throat means including inner and outer sleeve members are provided, the inner sleeve member having a fruit receiving opening at one end thereof, a generally flexible fruit receiving portion arranged inwardly of said fruit receiving opening and having an inwardly converging conical portion. The inwardly converging conical portion is arranged to have a minimum diameter which is not substantially greater than the diameter of the fruit being harvested. A generally rigid cylinder depends from the inwardly converging conical portion and is coupled to the inwardly converging conical portion at one end thereof. Aspirating openings are formed along the rigid cylinder adjacent the inwardly converging conical portion, and a second generally flexible sleeve or conical member is coupled to the rigid cylinder at the end opposite from the fruit receiving opening. This second flexible member is arranged to form a generally flexible closure in response to vacuum being applied through said aspirating openings. The outer sleeve is sealingly secured to the inner sleeve about axially spaced points disposed on opposite sides of said aspirating openings, and means defining a port are arranged on the wall of the outer sleeve with means for coupling said port to said first conduit means.

United States Patent m m h ABSTRACT [54] FRUITS AND NUTS PICKING DEVICEApparatus for harvesting fruits from trees comprising first conduitmeans, coupling means adjacent a first end thereof and adapted forattachment to a source of vacuum. Throat 221 Filed:

means including inner and outer sleeve members are provided, the innersleeve member having a fruit receiving opening at one end thereof, agenerally flexible fruit receiving portion arranged inwardly of saidfruit receiving opening and having an inwardly converging conicalportion. The inwar verging conical portion is arranged to have a minimumter which is not substantially greater than the diameter 0 fruit beingharvested. A generally rigid cylinder depends from the inwardlyconverging conical portion and is coupled to the inwardly convergingconical portion at one Aspiratingopenings are formed along the rigijacent the inwardly converging conical portion,

generally flexible sleeve or conical member is coup rigid cylinder atthe end opposite from the opening. This second flexible member is arrangenerally flexible closure in response to vacu through said aspiratingopenings. The outer s secured to the inner sleeve about axially spacedpoints disposed on opposite sides of said aspirating openings, and meansdefining a port are arranged on the wall of the outer sleeve with meansfor coupling said port to said first conduit means.

28 3 22222 30% 33333 3W 33333 2 61 66666 52% 55555 "nun" 0 uuunn A4 "n"n 0 "u" n "U" U ,8, mmm m m S "u" n 0 3m m I .2 "N" n H mm m C M A mmm my UN P Una m mm 5 5m m m 5% n m T mmmmu mu m u h s mam: a E. u u e n m;m mu u i 15619 RH m 55566 n U 99999 M o m HHHHH .Mn N .l 2 0 n o l. .1mr m cu m 1 A umn we 1 1 c ean m 1 ll 1 m flaw m mm [L [rltrl 22223 PA QQ Q Q PATENTEDMM 2 3 i972 a. .v D V INVENTOR. KHOSROW JAMSH/D/ A 7'TOREY FRUITS AND NUTS PICKING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Thepresent invention relates generally to an improved apparatus forharvesting fruits and nuts from trees, wherein vacuum means are coupledto a flexible throat means for removing or detaching the fruit from thetree, and thereafter depositing the fruit in a collecting station. Theapparatus of the present invention utilizes a source of vacuum as powerfor the unit, with the apparatus handling the picked fruit extremelygently.

In the harvesting of fruit, including both fruits and nuts, it isfrequently desirable to utilize mechanical techniques which willeliminate the need for hand picking of each individual item from thetree. For certain fruits, hand picking is normally required in order toavoid blemishes from being formed on the fruit. Such hand picking is, ofcourse, costly and extremely slow, and accordingly contributes to thehigh cost of such fruit to the consumer.

In the past, various techniques have been suggested for the harvestingand extraction of fruits from trees, however these apparatus frequentlyemploy complex electromechanical devices including photocell sensors andthe like for locating the fruit, and clamping arms for extracting thefruit from the growing tree. Such apparatus, while enhancing the speedof harvest, normally cannot avoid the risk of damage to the flesh of thefruit.

In accordance with the present invention, however, the risk of damage tothe flesh is minimized, and a worker may harvest the fruit withoutnecessarily leaving the ground. The apparatus is simple, light inweight, and may be handled from the ground by a suitable extension wandor the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved fruit harvesting apparatus which willenable the picking of fruit or nuts from trees, the apparatus beingdesigned to gently handle the fruit as it is taken from the tree.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide animproved apparatus for harvesting fruit and nuts from trees, thisapparatus being operated and powered by a simple source ofvacuum.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide animproved fruit and nut harvesting device which utilizes a structurewithout requiring mechanically moving parts.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparentto those skilled in the art upon a study of the following specification,appended claims, and accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view,partially schematic, illustrating the improved fruit and nut harvestingdevice of the present invention, and illustrating the apparatus incombination with an elongated fruit transmission conduit means fordelivering the harvested material to a collecting station;

FIG. 2 is a detail elevational view, partially broken away and partiallyin section, and illustrating the structure as it is about to extract orharvest fruit from a tree;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, and illustrating the structure asindividual items of harvested fruit are being passed through thegathering head; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view illustrating the manner in which theharvesting head can be releasably attached to an extension wand.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Attention is now directed toFIG. 1 of the drawing wherein the harvesting apparatus generallydesignated is illustrated, this apparatus including a harvesting headassembly generally designated 11, the harvesting head being coupled to afirst conduit means 12, and a fruit guiding sleeve member 13. A

collecting station in the form of a box or the like is shown at 14.

With particular attention being directed to the harvesting head means11, this structure includes a throat assembly comprising a pair ofgenerally coaxially arranged sleeves, including an outer sleeve 15, andan inner sleeve assembly 16. The inner sleeve assembly 16 includes athroat means shown generally at 18, the throat means having a fruitreceiving opening as at 19, and an inwardly converging conical portionas at 20. The inwardly converging conical portion 20 has a minimumdiameter or constriction area as at 21, this diameter beingsubstantially equal to the diameter of thefruit being harvested. Fornormal purposes, this constriction is fabricated from flexiblesubstances so that the diameter of the constriction is adjustablyvariable when vacuum is applied, this diameter being not substantiallygreater than the normal diameter of the fruit being harvested.

A generally rigid cylinder member 23 is arranged in dependingrelationship from the inwardly converging conical portion 20, cylinder23 having a plurality of aspirating openings 24 around the peripherythereof. These openings are adapted to permit a flow of air to passthrough, this flow being created by the operation of the vacuum meansshown generally at 26. As can be seen in the harvesting head means, asecond generally flexible member, preferably a conical member, is shownat 28, this member being coupled to the rigid cylinder at the endopposite to the inwardly converging conical portion. Member 28 isarranged to close upon itself, if desired, such as is illustrated inFIG. 2. For most purposes, member 28 may be fabricated from a flexiblefilm substance such as flexible polyethylene, stress-orientedpolyethylene terephthalate, or the like.

With continued attention being directed to FIG. I, it will be seen thatsleeve 15 is sealingly secured to sleeve 16 at axially spaced pointsdisposed on opposite sides of the aspirating openings 2424. These sealareas are shown as at 30 and 31. Also, means defining a port arearranged on the wall of the sleeve 15 as at 32, these port means beingarranged to couple conduit 12 to the harvesting head 11.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 2 of the drawing wherein an item offruit is shown at 35, with the fruit just entering the constrictionformed in the inwardly converging conical opening 20, the circumferenceor surface of the fruit touching the constricted area 21, asillustrated. The vacuum means 26, drawing or aspirating upon thestructure, tends to close the opening as at 28, while drawing the fruit35 inwardly through the system. Upon passing through the opening 21, thefruit will drop through the harvesting head in the fashion shown in FIG.

It can be appreciated, therefore, that opening 28 is adapted tointermittently open-and-close in response to the vacuum drawing on thestructure, and in response to the blockage of the throat means at theconstricted area 21. This blocking occurs whenever an article of fruitis present in the throat area.

In order to cushion the fall of the individual articles of fruit fromthe harvesting head into the collecting station, the fruit guidingsleeve 13 is arranged to control the fall of the individual articles andgently deposit them in the collecting box or station such as the box 14.In this fashion, fragile fruits may be collected without risking damageto the skin, flesh, or meat.

With attention being directed to FIG. 4, it can be appreciated how theharvesting head 11 may be secured by a closure ring or the like 40 tothe wand 41. In this fashion, it is possible for an individual toharvest fruit or nuts from a tree without necessarily having to climb aladder to ascend to a point where the individual articles of fruit canbe harvested by hand.

While the present specification has discussed the gathering of fruit, itwill be appreciated that the term fruit is being utilized in a genericsense, and is intended to include such fruits as apples, citrus fruitssuch as oranges, lemons and limes, as well as peaches and pears. Bysuitable selection of throat diameters, nuts can be harvested utilizingthe identical principle. Any conventional materials of construction maybe employed for the device, with molded plastic materials beingpreferred. The inwardly converging conical portion 20 may be fabricatedfrom molded plastic such as nylon, Teflon, vinyl, or the like, whilecylinder member 16 may be fabricated from similar materials. Outersleeve 15, which is preferably rigid, can also be fabricated from anydesired material of construction.

lclaim:

1. Apparatus for harvesting fruits from trees comprising:

a. first conduit means, coupling means adjacent a first end thereof andarranged for attachment to a source of vacuum;

b. harvesting head means with throat means including inner and outersleeve members, said inner sleeve member having a fruit receivingopening at one end thereof, a generally flexible fruit receiving portiondisposed inwardly from said opening and having an inwardly convergingconical portion, said inwardly converging conical portion having aminimum diameter which is not substan tially greater than the normaldiameter of the fruit being harvested, and a generally rigid cylinderdepending from said inwardly converging conical portion and beingcoupled to said inwardly converging conical portion at one end thereof,means defining aspirating openings disposed along said rigid cylinderadjacent said inwardly converging conical portion;

0. a second generally flexible conical member coupled to said rigidcylinder at the end opposite to said inwardly converging conical portionand adapted to form a generally flexible closure;

d. said outer sleeve being sealingly secured to said inner sleeve ataxially spaced points disposed on opposite sides ofsaid openings; and

e. means defining a port arranged on the Wall of said outer sleeve andhaving means for coupling said outer sleeve member to said first conduitmeans.

2. The fruit harvesting apparatus as defined in claim 1 beingparticularly characterized in that a fruit guiding sleeve is secured tosaid rigid cylinder and depends therefrom so as to enclose said secondconical member therewithin.

3. The fruit harvesting apparatus as defined in claim 1 beingparticularly characterized in that vacuum means are coupled to saidfirst conduit means and are arranged to draw a vacuum through saidaspirating openings.

4, The fruit harvesting apparatus as defined in claim 3 beingparticularly characterized in that said second generally flexibleconical member is adapted to close upon itself in response to the vacuumdrawn by said vacuum means through said aspirating openings.

5. The fruit harvesting apparatus as defined in claim 1 beingparticularly characterized in that said inwardly converging conicalmember is resiliently deformable.

1. Apparatus for harvesting fruits from trees comprising: a. firstconduit means, coupling means adjacent a first end thereof and arrangedfor attachment to a source of vacuum; b. harvesting head means withthroat means including inner and outer sleeve members, said inner sleevemember having a fruit receiving opening at one end thereof, a generallyflexible fruit receiving portion disposed inwardly from said opening andhaving an inwardly converging conical portion, said inwardly convergingconical portion having a minimum diameter which is not substantiallygreater than the normal diameter of the fruit being harvested, and agenerally rigid cylinder depending from said inwardly converging conicalportion and being coupled to said inwardly converging conical portion atone end thereof, means defining aspirating openings disposed along saidrigid cylinder adjacent said inwardly converging conical portion; c. asecond generally flexible conical member coupled to said rigid cylinderat the end opposite to said inwardly converging conical portion andadapted to form a generally flexible closure; d. said outer sleeve beingsealingly secured to said inner sleeve at axially spaced points disposedon opposite sides of said openings; and e. means defining a portarranged on the wall of said outer sleeve and having means for couplingsaid outer sleeve member to said first conduit means.
 2. The fruitharvesting apparatus as defined in claim 1 being particularlycharacterized in that a fruit guiding sleeve is secured to said rigidcylinder and depends therefrom so as to enclose said second conicalmember therewithin.
 3. The fruit harvesting apparatus as defined inclaim 1 being particularly characterized in that vacuum means arecoupled to said first conduit means and are arranged to draw a vacuumthrough said aspirating openings.
 4. The fruit harvesting apparatus asdefined in claim 3 being particularly characterized in that said secondgenerally flexible conical member is adapted to close upon itself inresponse to the vacuum drawn by said vacuum means through saidaspirating openings.
 5. The fruit harvesting apparatus as defined inclaim 1 being particularly characterized in that said inwardlyconverging conical member is resiliently deformable.